Improvement in reaping-machines



ritten,

UYRUS H, MCCORBICK, OF ROUKBRIDGE GUUNIY, VIRGINIA,

llVlPROVEWiENT lid RAPlNGniid/CHDNS.

Spcriication forming part ot" Letters Patent No. 3,@95, dated January 3l, N45.

L'o all whom it may concern.-

` Be it known that I, UYRUS H llICCOBMICK, of the county of Rockbridge and State of Virginie. have lnven'ted certain new and useful Improvements upon my patented Reaping-Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification.

'.lhe first improvements which I would describe are in the cutting apparatus, as follows, viz: The blade-case A .A A A A2, in which the blade B B B I32 plays and is secured, is a straight plate of iron, the length of the lilade-sayone and one-fourth inch wide,three eighths inch thick on the back, and less than oneeighth inch on ithe front edge, as at A, Figure 3. To the upper side of this plate is riveted a backw, Figs. 3 and 5, say, threesixteenths inch thick (thickness of the blade) and tive-eighths inch wide, having a width of tiveeighths inch in front of the back, as at A2, Fig. 3, i'or the blade to act upon. The end ot' this plate next to the crank is widened to wurd the front, as at A2, Figs. 5 and 9, and

`turned np so as to receive and lit the end of the blade, (giving it room to act,) which 4is also extended in width, as hereinafter described. The other end of the plate is also widened in like manner. At the ends the width of the blade B is extended iu front, as at 44, Figs. ft,

' 5, to one and three-fourths inch, being twice its width at the'cntting part, so that the edge ot' the blade, though projecting over the case-` -say, one-fourth inch, as at B', Eig. B-is tirmly and sntliciently supported by the ends and prevented from a tendency to wear and `turn fthe blade free from choking by cutting itself clear vot' blades of wheat, &c., in both directions. "Ihc blade-case is secured tothe two projections ofthe frame of the platform C at 7 7 7 7, Figs. l and .l5-say, three or four inches forward ot' the front pieces, U, of said platl'orm -and it is supported between,at suitable extend forward above the blade, so that thev hinder angle, d, Fig. 5, of the spear is tinst behind the serrated edge l1 of the blade B1, thereby forminga-n acute angie between the edge b of the blade and the shoulder d ot the spear,

lby which the grain is prevented from yielding.'`

to the touch ofthe blade as it vibrates,and, is held fast, so that the cutting is insured, and that, too, dispensing with theunder part ot' the tinger,\(as with the double bearer or linger.) ou which blades ot' grass, Sto., are liable to lodge and choke the machine. The tin gers are intended to tit pretty close to the edge of the blade, and to be bent np a little from the back to prevent choking, as at Il' B2, Fig. 3. The blade may either cnt on a level with the upper surface of the platform or below it, as at present constructed.

Next, the driver F (or connecting-rod) is made ot' two pieces, It" I, pnt together with screw-bolts, and so hollowedout in the inside, as atff, Fig. S, as to receive round or cylindrical followers (lr G Ur, inwhichthe wrist of the crank I I l revolves, to be kept tight on the'crank by the key 1t), Fig. 6, instead of dat ones, by which arrangement they are enabled to roll inthe driver, so as to accommodate themselves to any angle ot' the cranio, varied by changing the height ot'cutting, thereby dispensing with'extra followers to suit diiierent sets of the machine and the trouble of changing them. The machine is at present constructed `for two heights ofcutting, eight and ten inches, (might have more variations,) which is elected ou `the out or tongue side by two .joints in the framework-one at the crank or connection of the hounds N N and platform C Y V V, the other at the connection of the hounds and tongue P 0 0 Z--the two bolts Y and Z being pivotsto the two joints, and the axle of the main ground-wheel at Ain the two hounds a pivot on which to yturn the fratrie to effect the change required. When the` bolts V and are in the lower holes of they hounds and tongue, the height of' the blade from the ground will be eight inches, which is the lowest. The point ofthe tongue being fixed and immovable by the breast-piece Q, made fastv to the horses lrames'by moving. the bolts V and() into the holes V and 0 of the hounds and tongue upon the pivot-A, as before described, the hounds, together with the wheels, crank,and other frame-work attached to thenr, will turn, sinking the joint 0 O Z and raising the joint Y V V, and consequently the blade, to ten inches. By this operation the horizontal position ot' the platform and of the blade and driver', they being attached by a pin at 1l 11 1.1,Figs.1,5, and (i,is` preserved, whilethe turning of the hounds, crank,&c.,as aforesaid, varies the angle ofthe crank to the blade and driver, and but for the rolling ofthe f'ollowers inthe driver, as before described, worrld twist the blade.

lhe application of the fly-wheel H upon the axle of' the`cr'ank I above the wrist, by which means the weight of' the driver is counterbalarrced, (one side of' the wheel being heavier than -the other), the changes of action in the blade regulated and eff'ected with more ease, less friction, and strain upon the machinery, and consequent liability to wear and get out of order, and from which uniformityy of action and resistance the action of the blade and wheels is kept np in situations where other-.

wise it would fail by lreason of the wheels slipping and not revolving. 4

The rnaunerof nngearing the machine by the lever J, so that when itis moving and not cutting the operation f' the wheels and blade can be stopped conveniently. This is effected by securing the lever to the top of' the ont lronnd by a screwbolt, B, which serves as a f'ulcrunr.

(Jnc end of the lever extendssay four or five inches-back from the f'ulerunr to a suitable place, and is suitably shaped as a box, in which is placed and acts the lower end of the axleg at the pinion ofthe wheel L, that operates the crank, and on and near the lower'end of which said axle isa pinion,i\l,ofniue teeth,thatgears into the rrraster cog-wheel 1 of' thirty teeth. At some twelve inches before the fulcrum is a. loose pin, J2, pnt through the lever and into the hound, which holds it firmly to its place.

'lo ungear the wheel itis then only necessary' to take out this pin and move the end of' the lever in toward the master cog-wheel, which moves theother end with the pinion dutof'gear; and the pin being put again into the lever and a different liole in the hound, it is kept out of' gear until changed, as before. This is important in moving the machine from place to place; and also in cutting around a piece of' grain it sometimes does not snit so well to cut on one side as on others.

The divider K is an extension of the frame on thc left side ot' the platformsay three feet bef'ore the blade--for the purpose, and so constructed as to effect a separation of' the wheat to be eut from that to be-left standing, and

that whether tangled or not. E is a piece of' scantling-saythree feet long and three inches square-triade fast to a projection of the platform by two screw-bolts. To the pointof this piece, at K, is made fast, by a screw a bow, L, of' tough wood, the other end of which is madeI fast in the hinder ypart of the platform at 1t, and it is so bent as to be about two andI a halt' feet hghat the left reel-post and about nine inches out' from it, with a regular curve.

The dividing-irorr .M is an iron rod ot a peculiar shape, madefast to the point of the same piece E and by the same screw-bolt that holds the bow K. From this bolt this iron rises toward thcreel Sat an angle of, say, thirty degrees, until if-reaclresit, their itis bent so as to pass under the reel as far back as the blade, and to ft the curve of' it, (the reel.) From the. bolt in the point aforesaid the other end of this iron extendssay nine inches-along the inside of the p iece E, where it is held by another' screw-bolt M and where it has a nrroove or slot in it to admit the other ends being raised or lowered (turning on the point-screw K as a pivot,) to suit the height of the reel. By means of the bow to bear ofi' the standing wheat and the iron to throw the wheat to be cut within the power of the reel the required separation is made complete.

Tlienrarrner of constructing the hounds N (or main wheel-pieces) and of connecting thenr with the tongue P and forming the rnovablo joint t) O Z, as before described, corresponding with thejoint Y V Vin changingthe height ofthe cutting, by which construction, too, the frame is greatly simplified and strengthened, sufficiently soto control the action of the machine firmly and permanently(tlreinside hound operating as a direct and strong brace to it) by means of the tongue P, which is extended, say 'ten feet, forward, so as to balance the machine upon its two ground-wheels, 'l and U, and is attached to the breast-piece Q, as before described.

The reel-post R, (on the left side of the ma chine,) insteadof being placed before the blade, standing perpendicular-ly and braced as bef'ore, is set, say,`nine inches behind the blade,

'as at U, and so leaned forward as'to bring the middle of it or point, 1t, at which the end of the reel is supported, to its former perpendicular, thereby, too, so p'utting the top ot' the post V forward as to admit of being braced directly `to the tongue l by rrreans of' the tongue-post T, for the purpose ot' raising the end of' it a little by the brace S, passing partly over and in front of the reel. By this arrangement, first, the bracing, as described, is effected with much more simplicity and strength; and,vsec ondly, the lower end ofthe post at U, being behind the blade and crooked out, as at R2, (the end of' the dividing-iron at m being bent inward,) all tendency ot' straw hanging upon it (the post) and interfering with the cutting is removed. The top of this post and front brace S might be dispensed with hy making.,r the frame ofl the platform heavier and stronger, butit is l Fig. 2, by having different holesin the frame as at U', for varying the height (by changing the axle ot' thewheel in them) ofthe cutting, und cutting away the under side of the frame at n behind the axle, to prevent the collecting of earth and gravel'by the upward motion 0f the wheel, so as to stop its revolution. p

The manner ot' attaching the sand-board W W to the frame between the main ground-wheel and the other wheels, driver, &c., by constructing it ot' two pieces 4at right angles to each other, the piece Vw being'placed between the ground-wheel and master cog-wheel, and made fast by the bolt V, the other part, W, tapering between the ground-wheel and driver, and made fast to the brace q; and, lastly, the strawboa-rd' X, made fast to the wheel-post yr at i' and tothe brace at q, for the purpose of keep ing the grain from the wheels, driver, &c.

1 `claim-- LThe curved or angled downward (for the purpose described) bearer for supporting the blade in the manner described.

2. `The reversed angle ot' the teeth of the- .blade inthe manner described.

The arrangement and construction `of the fingers or' teeth for" supporting the grain, so .as to form the angular spaces in front of the blade, as and for the purpose described.

i 4. The combina-tion ofthe bow L and dividing-iron U, fory separating the wheat in the way described.

5. Setting,r the lower end of the reelpost R behind the blade, curving it at RH and leaning it forward at top, thereby favoring the cutting, and enabling me to brace it at top by the front brace, S, as described, which I claim in combina-tion with the post.

CYRUS ll. MCCORMICK. Witnesses:

T. C. DoNN, R. I. A. (EULVERWELL. 

